Friday, October 31, 2014

I just wanted to share with you a link that I find helpful
for planning programs. It is fun putting your personal spin on programs that
were successful around the United States! Hopefully you can share this with
other staff who might find this helpful!

Were any other student groups/offices/organizations
involved? If so, please list: No

Please provide a brief description of the program:

This program was done in two parts. The first part is about
sex. So all of your residents enter the room. You let them know that for the
purposes of this program, all of them are single and they have just entered
speed dating. Give the residents a couple of minutes to get adjusted and
mingle, however, let them know by the end of said time period (that you decide
on) they should each have one or two partners, depending on the number of
people you have playing. When the time limit is over, go around and give each
partnership one envelope. Tell them that in the envelope is the results of
their speed dating. After they find out their results, go around and give them
another envelope, and tell them not to open it. Tell them that this is the gift
that their partner gave them. Now, they must take their gift and go find new
partner because their relationship did not work out. After they are happy with
their new partner, tell them to exchange gifts with their new partner. Tell
them to open their new gifts. Inside the envelope is STD’s or a baby. Give them
a minute to ponder their gift and then have a debriefing session about the
consequences of having sex. Make sure to encourage them to always use
protection, get tested, don’t have more than one sex partners and allow them to
come up with ways on their own to have a safe sex life. Take the time out to
hear their thoughts and feelings about the activity. Remind them of where the
health center is and give them some of the services the health center provides.

The second part is quicker. Give each person a cup with some
juice. Tell them for the purpose of this activity that they are all over the
age of 21. Tell them that they are at a bar having drinks. Tell each person to
close their eyes and put their hand out. Give each person a piece of candy.
Only use three colors. One represents being extremely intoxicated, one
represented being drugged and the other represented an attempt of being drugged
but it did not work for whatever reason. Three people are standing at the front
of the room. Each person represents an attacker. Now each person much blindly
identify their attacker. Afterwards, have a debriefing session on how sometimes
you do not know your attacker, what to watch out for, not taking drinks from
people, mixing your own drinks, knowing your limit and allow them to vent about
the activity.

This program took approximately an hour. Stay after for a
minute to see if anyone wants to talk.

Please list any materials/items/supplies needed for the
program, as well as an approximate budget:

·I made all the envelopes from construction paper
that is in the ResLife central office. The number of cards you need depends on
the number of people playing. For example, if there are 40 people playing, you
would need 20 cards for the outcome of the speed dating and 40 cards for the
gifts. The couple cards should say things such as couple, friends with
benefits, married, divorced, polyamorous relationship and any other type of
relationship you might have. Be sure to be gender neutral and use the word
partner instead of telling them to pair up with opposite gender and be sure not
to put boyfriend or girlfriend on the card but couple or dating. This adds an
added affect to the game. For the gift cards, put one STD on a card or put a
baby on the card. Also be sure to be gender neutral and not put pregnant but
instead a baby or if you put sterile also put infertile.

·Get enough small cups for each person a thing of
juice for approximately $6

·Get one bag of candy for approximately $3-4

·Total should be no more than $10 but it would be
more if you by envelopes instead of making them

In your opinion, what made this program such a success?

·I used three pieces of colored paper instead of candy.
I put the colored pieces of paper in their hands but I put the candy on the
table for them to eat to reduce spreading germs and being messy.

·Also warn them that this activity could be a
trigger warning for them and to use self care. Allow them to dismiss themselves
if they feel uncomfortable.

·Allow them to come up with ways to have safe sex
and drink responsible without telling them not to do it because then they will
dismiss what you are saying.

·Remind them that you are there for them if they
need to talk.

·I think it would help having a HR or an AC there
for damage control if something get out of hand or something you say is taken
the wrong way. Also it is important for moral support because this is a tough
activity.

Program Title:
Diplomacy and Decision Making: The Island Simulation Date: September 29th

Staff Member(s): Gabriel Borelli and Dreisen Heath

Staff Member Area(s): CLARK

Were any other student groups/offices/organizations
involved? If so, please list: N/A

Please provide a brief description of the program:

Professor
Gallarotti came to do an activity with us involving citizenship and community
building. It was a simulation from his
government class in which everyone involved is “abandoned” on an island and
then challenged to form a successful community in order to survive. Success of the simulation depends on the
cooperation and teamwork of everyone involved, though there is no single
solution to answer the “survival” question of the activity. The activity itself, overall, is open-ended,
allowing room for creative but nonetheless doable solutions if the hypothetical
situation were real.

Please list any materials/items/supplies needed for the
program, as well as an approximate budget:

We ended up using
$100 in faculty funding for pizza from Mondo, though the food itself wasn’t
necessary for the program and was bought mainly because we held the event at
dinnertime.

In your opinion, what made this program such a success?

I honestly don’t think that the program was successful
because of the food. It might’ve drawn a
few extra residents to the event, though some didn’t eat and came because the
activity itself seemed interesting. I
drummed up a lot of hype among my residents by reminding them every time I saw
them and telling them how great Professor Gallarotti was, having gone through
one of his classes and done the same activity with him that he did with my
residents. I think the fact that Professor Gallarotti is someone who I know and
who I have worked with influenced my residents’ decision to come, as they
trusted me enough to believe that I would only have asked Professor Gallarotti
to come if I knew the activity that we would do would be fun, interesting, and
insightful. Once the event began, the
activity just carried itself. The
residents got really into the simulation and had an excellent discussion on
community building. This hypothetical island
served as a fun metaphor for the ResLife community on Clark 3, and the
residents really enjoyed it. I think
this spin on our community really boosted the event, as a conversation based
solely around making Clark 3 a community as a hall would have come across stale
and boring.